Shuck-feeding mechanism for box-filling machines



c. F. WRIGHT. I SHUCK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR BOX FIL LINGMACHINES.APPLICATION FILED DEC 3|. I920.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC 31, I920- Patented Not, 24L, W22.

3 SHEETSSHEEI 2- C. F. WRIGHT. SHUCK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR BOX FILLINGMACHINES. APPLICATION FILED 05c 31, 1920.

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fiH'UGK-FJEEDIN'G MECHANISM FOR BU-FILLING MACNEh.

application filed December 31, that. serial No. aaairr.

ent of the United States No. 1,064,452, dated June 10, 1913.

The invention may be described as an improvement on a form ofshuck-feeding mechanism wherein the shucks of a row are successivelydelivered to a chute through which they are conducted to and positionedin an orderly manner on the shack conveyer of the filling machine, asset out in Letters Patent oi the United States No. 1,388,668, datedAugust 23, 1921.

My improvement particularly concerns and has for its object to providesim 1e and efficient means for obviating all liability of the engagementof the edges of the u permost shuck contained in the chute wit theopposing edges of the adjacent shuck of the advancing row from thesource of supply; such engagement, if occurring, resulting in therupturing or buckling of the contiguous ends of the shucks durin thedownward passage of the shucks within the chute.

The preferred form of embodiment of my invention will be hereinafterparticularly described, and the scope of the invention then be definedin the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a slide elevation of a portion of a boxfilling machine equipped with shuck feeding mechanism embodying theprinciple of my invention, only so much of the ma chine being shown asis necessary to illustrate the improvement.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the upper or receiving portion of theshuck feeding chute and its associated mechanism, including the deliveryend of the shuck'supplying trough. t is a plan of the mechanism shown inFig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the plunger for depressing the shuckswithin the chute.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the dog member, and adjuncts, forcontrolling the advancement of the shucks from the trough to the chute.1

Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, are vertical sections through the chute andthe delivery end of the shuok supplying trough, together with theplunger and dog member, showing said plunger and member in succeedingpos1tions which the are caused to occupy in relation to each ot ier andto the shucks contained in the trough and chute.

Referring) to the drawings, designates a horizontal ed or tablesupported adjacent the delivery portion of a match machine; 21designates an endless conveyor which is arranged to travel continuouslon the bed and transport a" succession of ox-trays across. the path ofthe matches being discharged from the match machine, and 22 designates aconveyor which is arranged to travel adjacent to one side of andconcurrently with the tray oonveyer and is adapted to transport asuccession of box shucks (b) inendwise relation to the filled trays onthe tray conveyer.

23 designates a conveyer which is arranged to travel adjacent theotherside of the tray conveyer and is adapted to transport a succession ofplungers 24 in operative relation to a stationary cam'Way 25 whichsuccessively reciprocates said plungers across the path of the trayconveyer in a manner to push the tilled trays progressively into theopposing shucks on the shuck conveyer.

, 26 designates a vertically-disposed chute which is supported at itslower or delivery end by a bracket 27 on the bed. The upper or receivingend of the chute is bolted to a flange or bracket 26' depending from oneend of a horizontal trough 28 through which the shucks are fed end toend and delivered successively into the upper end of the chute bysuitable feeding mechanism, such, for example, as the conveyer belt 33paesin along the floor of the trough and about u leys at or adjacent therespective ends of t e trou h.

. upward to a horizontal plane when rounding whic the wheel 32 of theconveyer. This chute is Y ,1,4sa,aaeT

their outer edges with the apex of the cam. This cam 79 is so' disposedthat during the verticalreciprocation of the plunger the cam not onlycontracts with the opposing plane face but also with the cam portion 77of the I dog. A spring 81' interposed between the dog and a bracketpiece 82 on the plate 74 tends to maintainthe dog at all times inyielding contact with the cam 79.

rectan ular incross-section and is designed When the plunger is in itsuppermost poto ice the superposed shucks downward to and through thelower portion 31, the curva' ture, of which portion is such as to directthe sition, after having acted upon and depressed the uppermost shuckpreviously delivered to the chute, the leading shuck of the shucksconsecutively toward and into the row is delivered to the chute throughthe succeeding links of the conveyer. A curved guard strip .31 securedto thelower end of. the chute overhangs the adjacent links of the shuckconveyer. I y

62 designates a vertlcally reciprocating presses each succeeding shuckas rapidly as it is delivered by the belt 33, each shuck being moved asuflicient distance to permit the entry of the next succeeding shuck tothe chute. .The downward movement of the u er shuck similarly depressesthe previous y. inserted shucks contained in the chute and advancesthemto and individually through the curved foot of the. chute. The plungeris slidably mounted in vertical guides 66 at one sideof the chute,and isconnected by means 'of a link-67 with the wrist of a crank disk 68 on ashort shaft 69 having its. bearin in A shaft of the filling machine.

a hanger 70 below the bed 20. This sha 69.

bears a sprocket wheel 71 which 'isoperatively connected with and drivenfrom a (See Fig. 1).

The arts above described, excepting as hereina ter particularly ointedout, are similar in construction an o eration to the like-named partsdescribed 1n Patent No. 1,388,668 aforesaid.

72 designates a depending dog-like member which is pivotally supportedat its u per end on a horlzontal stud 73 rojecting rom anupstandingbracket plate 4 aflixed to one side of the chute; the pivotholes 75 in the upper part of the dog being vertically-elongated so asto permit vertical as well as lateral movement of the dog. The locationof the dog is such that its lower end depends in close relation to thetop of the chute and adjacent to the lateral inlet 76 through which theshucks enter the chute,.such lower end being angulated to provide arearwardly extending V-cam 77 and a forwardly dependinglip 78. The faceof the lun or head 63 ad acent the dog is rovide wit a lateralinlet 76,as seen in Fig. 8. The latter shuck-thereupon assumes within the chute jtheinclined position indicated and is temporarily maintained in theposition by the and thrust .thereagainst of the op osiaif ,plun erhaving an overhanging head, shuck of the now. At this juncture t eenters the topof the chute and dc vancement of thejrow of shucks ismomentarily'. retarded within the trough and the belt 33 passes idlyalong the bottom of the 'trou h. Inits upward movement the cm 7 9 o theplunger engages the op osin lower end of the do and thus bodily ifts t edog above the pat of the leading shuck of the row, thence escaping thecam 77 on such end and sliding against the bod of the dog. In the upwardstroke the vertical flanges 79' afford an abutment for the contiguousend ofthe leading shuck, thus not only preventing the cam 79 fromentering the 'open end of the shuck and displacing the latter, but alsoprecluding advancement of the shuck until the bottom of the head 63 hasmoved above-the top of such shuck. The spring 81 holds the dogconstantly in frictional contact with the cam 79, thus maintaining thedog in its raised position and permitting the unobstructed passage ofthe shuck to the chute.

In the initial descent of the plunger, after the delivery of the shuckto the chute as just described, the plunger cam 79 impinges against theopposing surface of the dog cam 77, and thus presses the dog bodilydownward in such a manner that the lip 78 thereof bears upon andslightly depresses the elevatedend of the inclined shuck, so as todepend below the adjacent upper edge of the leading shuck in the trough,as seen in Fig. 9.

Asthe plunger continues its descent the cam. 79 thereon co-acts with thedog cam 77 to swing the dog bodily toward the inlet of the chute, thelip 78 thus bearing against the end of the leading shuck and moving itslightly back, as seen in Fig. 10. At the same tlme the plunger bearsupon the top of the underlying shuck and proceeds to prem it bodilydownward. In the continued descent of the plunger its cam escapes thecam 77 of the dog 72, which dog, with its lip 78, still in engagementwith the leading shuck 1L a a v in the trough, swings sli htly rearwardand is thus maintained until t e plunger has completed its downwardstroke and depressed plunger, the lowermost shuck being discharged fromthe lowerend of the chute and delivered thence to the conveyer'. Thisbeing done, the plunger, together with the dog, is raised, the partsthus resuming the relative positions shown in Fig. 8,

repetition of the shuck feeding and depressing operations abovedescribed. By this construction, the shucks contained in the trough areconsecutively delivered therefrom to and depressed within the chute,each leading shuck of the row inthe trough being. tempo rarily separatedand held back at the inlet to v the chute in an effective manner toprevent its interference with the adjacent shuck in the chute, as abovementioned.

ll preferably provide the inner wall of the chute adjacent to and belowthe inlet 76, with a depending spring apron 83 which, pressing againstthe opposing end of the shuck as and when the latter is depressed withinthe chute by the down stroke of the plunger, serves to prevent upwarddisplacement of said shuck during the upward or return stroke of theplunger, and also to maintain such shuck in position to serve as asupport for the neirtincoming shuck.

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the specificconstruction's herein disclosed, as the mechanism may be modified withinthe principle of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. The combination with a chute, of

means for feeding shucks in endwise relation to each other anddelivering them-successively into said chute from one side of thelatter, a vertically andlaterally movable member having a shuck-engagingportion overhanging the chute adjacent its inlet portion, means,including a reciprocative plunger head, for bodily depressing each shuckas rapidly as it is delivered into the chute, and means under theinfluence of said head whereby the member is periodically lowered andraised and also laterally vibrated-during the operation of 1 the head.

2. The combination with a chute, of means for feeding shucks in endwiserelation to each other and delivering them successively into said chutefrom one side of the latter, a depending member having a shuck-engagingportion overhanging the chute adjacent its inlet portion, a slidingpivotal suspension connection for the said member, means, including areciprocative plunger head, for bodily depressing each shuck as rapidlyas it is delivered into the chute, and means under the influence of saidhead whereby the member is periodically raised andlowered and alsolaterall vibrated durin the operation of the hea 3. The com ination witha chute, of means for feeding shuclrs in endwise relation to each otherand delivering them successively into said chute from one side of thelatter, a depending dog having a preparatory to a shuck-engaging portionoverhanging the chute ad acent its inlet portion, a sliding pivotalsuspension connection for said dog, means, including a plunger head, forbodily depressing each shuck as rapidly as it is delivered into thechute, and means under the influence of said head whereby the dog isperiodically raised and lowered and also laterally vibrated during theoperation of the head.

a. The combination with a chute, of means for feeding shucks in endwiserelation to each other and delivering them successively into said chutefrom one side of the latter, a depending dog supported by a pin and slotconnection and having a shuck-en aging portion overhanging the chuteadjacent its inlet portion, means, including a reciprocative plungerhead, for bodily depressing each shuclr as rapidly as it is deliveredinto the chute, co-acting cam members on the opposing faces of the dogand head, and a spring normally pressing said dog toward the head andinto sliding contact with the cam member of the head, whereby the saiddog is periodically lowered and raised and also laterally vibratedduring the operation of the head.

5. The combination with a chute, of means for feeding shucks in endwiserelation to each other and delivering them successively into said chutefrom one side of the latter, a vertically and laterally movable memberhaving a shuck-engaging portion overhangin the chute adjacent its inletportion, a yiel ing pressure membersupported within the chute adjacentto and below the inlet portion, means, including a reciprocative plungerhead, for bodily depressing each shuck as rapidly as it is deliveredinto Wli ldlll lldd llllll lllllt the chute, and. means under theinfluence shuck conveyer, of a chute having a delivery portion leadingtoward the upper path of said conveyer, a conveyer leading toward thereceiving portion of the chute and adapted to support a row of shucks inendwise relation to each other and to deliver them successivelyinto"said chute from one side of the latter, a verticall and laterallymovable member having a, s uckengagin portion overhanging the chute ad-5 jaoent t e inlet to its receiving portion,-

means, ineluding a reciprocative head, for bodily depressing each shuckas re idly as it is delivered into the chute, an

means I

